This is the 3rd installment of Hump Day How-To.Yes!! I missed a few between #2 and #3, but I'm still here and still making videos. The more videos I make, the faster I get at editing and loading them, so maybe by December of this year I'll have it down to a science :-). This week, I wanted to make books from recycled items. I'm not a cereal eater, but I've got folks around me who eat cereal, so I was gifted several cereal boxes. (Now that I've made 52 books in a year, people like to bring me things and say, "Here! Can you make a book out of this?" and I love to say, "Sure!! I'll give it a try!!" and that's kind of how these wonderful little field notebooks came to be. What's your favorite material to use for recycled art? Materials Used:

Cereal boxes

Waxed linen thread

Dental floss

Acrylic paints

Gesso

Bone folder

Bubble wrap (recycled)

Bottle cap (recycled)

Hotel key card (recycled)

Sketch paper

Watercolor paper

Things to consider if you decide to make your own:

Your sizes will vary based on the size of the original box you're using.

If the box is super glossy, you might try using a bit of sandpaper to rough it up a bit, then follow that with a coat of gesso to give you a prepared surface to paint on.

I like using dental floss as thread when I don't plan to handle the book too much. It's sturdy to a point, so keep that in mind when selecting your thread.

You can use your sewing machine to make a straight stitch up the middle of the book instead of hand sewing.

Be sure to measure the cut for the flap WHILE the papers are in the book, otherwise your slit will be slightly off.

Hey there! I made a journal out of a Cap'n Crunch cereal box for my daughter. I was really lucky to find lined notebook paper signatures so used those for the pages. She's a writer and loves this cereal (she's her mother's daughter, lol) and has been saving this box for a while for me to make her "something." I kept the cover the way it is. For effect. She loves it! I'll have to grab when she's not looking and take some pictures of it... As always, love your videos!